The Book of Aarav – 0.9

A Vague Plan

Rudhra paced impatiently around Site A, his hands clasped behind his back. His sword trembled at his side, echoing the unease running through his body.

Yodhika finally stepped into Site A, her footsteps slow and measured.

“Where were you?” Rudhra asked, worry sharp in his voice.

“I needed more time,” Yodhika replied, offering no further explanation for being half an hour late.

“Were you able to find a way?” he asked, his voice rattled.

“Not exactly.”

Rudhra’s expression darkened. He lowered his gaze to the floor, his worry deepening.

Yodhika continued, her voice steady. “But I did think of something—something that might give you Amirthyas a slight edge against the Pranvars.”

Rudhra looked up at her at once.

“I analyzed our plan,” she said, “and then asked myself what would make it fail. That’s when I found a few possibilities.”

“What are they?” Rudhra asked impatiently.

Yodhika met his eyes. “First—you.”

Rudhra stared at her, confused. “H… how?”

“Through training,” she said calmly. “I’ll turn you into a weapon against us. I’ll train you to fight the Ashura Warriors—sharpening your skills and fully exploiting your immortality.”

Doubt flickered across Rudhra’s face, but it quickly faded, replaced by resolve.

“Second,” Yodhika continued, “we need to eliminate as many Tamaskara weapons as possible. That’s our greatest advantage over you.”

Rudhra listened intently.

“The problem,” she went on, “is that those weapons are scattered across four key locations—the palace, the research lab, and the two ports of Avantaveera. If even one location is attacked, they’ll be alerted immediately. Worse, they’ll realize you’ve uncovered our plan.”.

Rudhra thought for a moment. “So, what do you suggest?” he asked.

“This is where it gets tricky,” Yodhika said. “We need numbers. We need to train some of the Amirthya warriors. And when the time comes, we strike—all at once.”

Rudhra looked at her, puzzled. “We?” he asked. “You’ll be joining us?”

Yodhika hesitated before answering. “Y… yes. I will.”

A small smile of relief crept onto Rudhra’s face.

“Wipe that smile,” Yodhika said firmly. “We still have a very slim chance of surviving this.”

The smile vanished at once.

“There’s another problem,” Rudhra said after a moment. “Except for me, none of the Amirthyas fight. Everyone lives a normal life.”

Yodhika replied without hesitation. “The Amirthyas were once a clan of great warriors. Fighting is in your blood—you only need a spark to awaken it.”

She paused before adding, “We may never make them as powerful as the Pranvars. But we can turn your immortality into a weapon.”

Rudhra listened in silence, absorbing every word.

“The Pranvars will put their plan into motion in six months,” she continued. “That’s all the time we have. And we must act discreetly—without letting them catch even a whisper of it.”

“There’s another difficulty,” Rudhra said quietly. “We Amirthyas aren’t close. Even though we live in the same building, we barely talk to one another.”

“Yes, I know,” Yodhika said. “That’s how the Pranvars raised you for generations. They didn’t want unity among you. So they taught you not to trust each other—locking each family within itself.”

Rudhra lowered his gaze. After a moment, he asked, “How do we proceed?”

“I’m not entirely sure yet,” Yodhika admitted. “But there’s one weapon we must worry about. Do you remember when I told you the Pranvars plan to leave this island—with you as slaves?”

Rudhra’s expression darkened. “Yes.”

“They don’t just plan to leave,” she said quietly. “This island will cease to exist after they do.”

Rudhra stiffened. “W… what do you mean?”

“They plan to sink it,” Yodhika replied. “Avantaveera will be at the bottom of the sea.”

His entire body trembled. “That’s… impossible.”

“It isn’t,” she said. “We created a weapon called Wamon for that purpose. After enslaving a few of you, they’ll kill the rest—and sink the island with it.”

Rudhra collapsed to the floor.

“Then what are we fighting for?” he asked after a long moment, staring at the ground.

Yodhika walked to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “I have a plan. But you may not like it.”

Rudhra looked up. “What is it?”

“We use the weapon first.”

He sprang to his feet.

“Listen to me calmly,” Yodhika said. “The weapon will be activated whether we want it or not. Avantaveera will sink. So tell me—do you want to save the Amirthya clan, or this island?”

Rudhra’s shoulders slowly relaxed, though worry still lingered on his face.

“If you agree,” she said, “we can begin.”

He remained silent for several minutes, thinking.

“After all this,” he finally asked, “how do we escape?”

“Through the Arctic port,” Yodhika replied. “That’s where our warships are stationed.”

“You really think this will work?”

“I don’t know,” she said honestly. “The plan is still vague. We’ll have to move step by step and adapt on the day of the attack. But it’s the only path I see where you have even a narrow chance of survival.”

Rudhra exhaled slowly. “I agree. I trust your instincts.”

Yodhika let out a quiet sigh of relief.

“What are you two doing?” a voice called out. “Haven’t you started your fight yet? The security team says you’ve just been chatting.”

Sabo stepped into Site A.

“Does she know about the Pranvars’ plan?” Rudhra whispered.

“Yes,” Yodhika whispered back. “She’s with them.”

Rudhra’s face flushed with anger, but he forced himself to stay calm.

“This idiot keeps asking about my fighting techniques,” Yodhika said loudly, forcing irritation into her voice.

“Aren’t you a curious one,” Sabo said with a smirk. “Stop talking and start fighting.”

“Fine,” Yodhika replied.

Both of them took their stances and lunged at each other, weapons flashing.

Sabo watched from a distance.

Do you really think this is a good idea? she thought.

Yes, the voice answered inside her mind. Not just me—even Master wants to see where this leads.

And you want me to stay silent about this? Sabo asked.

Yes. This may be the next step toward our goal.

(To be continued)